3 Sox holding keys to offense

According to Jerry Manuel, the three ingredients to a consistent-hitting White Sox lineup are Ray Durham, Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez.

The fact that Durham and Ordonez are streaky hitters and rarely have been clicking at the same time is one of the main reasons for the Sox's offensive struggles this season.

"Once we get those three in place," Manuel said earlier on the current West Coast trip, "we'll be all right."

While Ordonez appears to be coming out of a mini-slump, Lee and Durham have continued to struggle at the plate. Ordonez hit the go-ahead two-run double in the ninth inning of Friday's 8-6 comeback win over the Mariners and came into Saturday's game hitting .478 with three home runs and eight RBIs over his last five games.

Before that Ordonez hadn't homered since July 2.

"When Magglio is right, he hits anything," Manuel said Saturday. "If he can stay where he is now for a length of time, we can be a serious threat. If one of the three got right, I'm glad it was him."

Ordonez has also contributed in little ways. He has stolen seven straight bases, tying him for the team lead with Durham, who has led the Sox in steals for the last five consecutive seasons.

In a foot race between the two, Durham would obviously be considered the heavy favorite. But Ordonez has been successful because opposing pitchers aren't concentrating on holding him on as much, and because he has solid baserunning instincts.

Durham was hitting only .167 in his last 11 games before Saturday and has an on-base percentage of only .326 this season. Manuel said he has to make adjustments.

"You could be somewhat miffed or displeased [with Durham], but the thing I like is he's really putting forth the effort to fight his way out of it," he said.